Flying Fisherman Sunglasses 2009
Flying Fisherman Sunglasses
Every angler knows that a pair of polarized glasses is one of the most important tools we own. Beyond protecting our eyes from the sun’s damaging rays, they enable us to see much more clearly into the waters we fish. Up until now, there have basically been two polarized options-a pair of $20-ish shades that work okay and won’t be too painful to lose or break, or a pair of top-line glasses costing $150-$200 or more, a considerable hit to the wallet if the glasses go swimming.
The Flying Fisherman company, a longtime Florida Keys producer of polarized eyewear, has now expanded their line, offering the premium Master Angler series of glasses in addition to their popular Action Angler line. The Master Anglers retail starting at $40, and they give anglers a high-quality sunglass option that offers superior underwater visibility at an attractive price.
Key to the Master Angler series is Flying Fisherman’s Accutint lens system, a selection of lens colors keyed to different fishing applications to enhance contrast without distorting the natural colors of whatever anglers are viewing, long a problem for cheaper lenses.
There are seven lens colors in the Accutint palate, ranging from Vermillion-a copper/rose lens that is especially good for low light sight fishing, to Smoke-a gray lens ideal for bright sunny applications like offshore fishing. Amber and Yellow-Amber fill the gap between the two, while three mirrored lenses-Green Mirror, Blue Mirror, and Red-Gold Mirror-fill out the spectrum. The mirrored lenses add extra glare reflection over the standard ones, and they are good choices for anglers whose sunglasses must do double-duty between low-light inshore fishing and long, bright days trolling offshore.
Anglers can also choose from one of two lens materials in the Master Angler line-precision ground and polished polarized glass or a nearly indestructible polarized polycarbonate material known as the Rhinolens.
The glass lenses are precision ground, optically flawless, and offer high scratch and shatter resistance, while the Rhinolenses are a bit lighter, 35 times stronger than CR-39 lens material, optically correct, scratch resistant, and shatterproof. Both lens materials offer anglers’ eyes 100% protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Anglers can choose from a wide variety of Flying Fisherman frames in the Master Angler series, including classic and modern designs with a variety of temple and nose supports, ensuring that any angler can not only find a great-looking pair of shades, but one that is comfortable to wear all day as well. With retail prices ranging from $40 to $100, the Master Angler Series is sure to be a hit with anglers looking for a pair of sunglasses offering the best in underwater visibility at a fraction of the cost of the other ‘premium’ shades on the market.
